Vehicle door fastenings



Sept. 30, 1958 J. HARMAN VEHICLE DOOR FASTENINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1956 Sept; 30, 1958 J. HARMAN 2,854,271

' VEHICLE nooa FASTENINGS Filed Oct. 26, 1956 5 She'ets-Sheet 2 Sept. '30, 1958 J. HARMAN 4,

VEHICLE DOOR FASTENINGS Filed Oct. 26', 1956 i 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States atent O VEHICLE noon FASTENINGS Juiius Harman, Dudley, England, assignor to Wiimot- Breeden Limited, Birmingham, England Application October 26, 1956, Serial No. 618,614

Claims priority, application Great Britain November 2, 1955 1 Claim. (Cl. 292192) This invention relates to a door fastening for use more particularly on a vehicle body of the so-called pillarless type, and has for its object to provide in a convenient form a door fastening which, when latched, will retain the door from movement about its hinge line and also in a direction parallel to its hinge line.

A fastening according to the invention comprises .in combination, a hollow body part adapted to be mounted adjacent the free edge of the door, a plungerslidable in the body part, said plunger being longitudinally slotted at its outer end the extremity of which is adapted (when in the latched position) to project from the body part for engagement with an aperture in a keeper on a relatively fixed part of the vehicle body, a catch piece mounted on a transverse pivot pin in the slotted outer end of the plunger, said catch piece having a nose adapted to engage behind a shoulder on the keeper when in the latched position, a spring-loaded wedge piece mounted for sliding movement within the slotted end of the plunger and adapted to impart angular movement to the catch piece in a direction to engage its nose with the said shoulder, and an actuating rod connected to the wedge piece.

An example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the complete fastening comprising an upper, lower and middle mechanism.

Figure 2 is a sectional side view to an enlarged scale of the upper mechanism seen in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional front view of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional plan of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional side view of the lower mechanism seen in Figure 1 to an enlarged scale,

Figure 6 is a front view of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a side view to an enlarged scale of the middle mechanism seen in Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a sectional front view of Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a plan view of Figure 7.

The illustrated example of the invention is intended for use with a motor vehicle body of the so-called pillarless type and is adapted to be mounted adjacent the free vertical edge of a door.

Referring particularly to Figure '1 the complete fastening comprises an upper mechanism generally designated A mounted at the upper edge of the door and adapted to cooperate with a keeper 10 secured to a relatively fixed part of the vehicle body above the door, a lower mechanism generally designated B mounted at the lower edge of the door and adapted to co-operate with a striker pin 11 secured to the floor or some other relatively fixed part of the vehicle body, and a middle mechanism generally designated C whereby a release or locking of the fastening can be effected. In this figure the arrow X indicates the direction in which the door would be moved on opening.

Referring now to the mechanism A, which is shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4, a body part 12 is mounted with its upper edge flush with the upper edge of the door. In

2 this body part is a vertically slidable plunger 13 which is longitudinally slotted at its upper and outer end. Further the outer extremity of the plunger is of tapered form and is adapted to enter an aperture in the keeper 10.

Within the slotted outer end of the plunger a catch piece 14 is mounted on a transversely extending pivot pin 15. This catch piece has a nose 14 which in the latched position of the fastening engages behind a complementary shoulder 10 at one side of the aperture in the keeper 10 to prevent downward movement of the door relative to the fixed part of the vehicle body. Moreover, the inner end of the catch piece has a wedge face 14 which cooperates with a complementary face 16 formed on a wedge piece 16 slidably mounted within the slotted outer end of the plunger, and connected to an actuating rod 17 extending through the inner end of the plunger and the inner end of the body part 12. This Wedge piece 16 is loaded in an outward direction by a coiled compression spring 18 around the rod 17 and hearing at opposite ends respectively upon the body part and the inner side of the wedge piece.

In the upper-end of the body part is a wedge block 19 which is slidable horizontally against the action of a coiled tension spring 19 anchored at one end to the body part and at its other end to the block 19. This block has a wedge face protruding from the body part which upon closing the door engages a complementary wedge face 10 formed on the underside of the keeper, so as to prevent upward movement of the door relative to the keeper. Furthermore, at the side of the aperture in the keeper opposite the shoulder 10 is a roller 21) having trunnions at its ends engaging inclined slots 10 in the keeper. The trunnions have flats which engage the slots 10 to prevent rotation of the roller whilst permitting its vertical movement.

The mechanism so far described operates as follows:

Assuming that the fastening is in the latched position illustrated and it is required to open the door, then by means to be described later a downward movement is imparted to the wedge piece 16 through the actuating rod 17. Initial movement of the wedge piece 16 removes it from the wedge face 14 on the catch piece which is now free to pivot on the pin 15. On continued movement, the wedge piece 16 contacts the plunger 13 and withdraws its extremity together with the catch piece 14 from the keeper 10. During this withdrawal the catch piece 14 is moved angularly in a counterclockwise direction by the interaction of its nose 14 with the complementary shoulder 10 of the keeper 10 until the nose is disengaged from the shoulder. The door is now free to open and the plunger is held in the withdrawn position by means associated with the lower mechanism B to be described later.

When the door is reclosed the actuating rod is free to move upwardly, and the spring 13 acting on the wedge piece 16 moves the later outwardly, and by virtue of contact of the wedge piece with the adjacent end face 14 of the catch piece 14 moves the plunger 13 also. As the catch piece 14 moves outwardly an inclined or curved edge 14 thereon contacts the adjacent edge 12 of an abutment piece 12 secured in the body part and causes an initial rocking movement (in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2) to be imparted to the catch piece. Subsequently the face 16 of the wedge piece 16 engages the Wedge face 14 on the catch piece and moves the nose 14 into firm contact with the shoulder 10*.

If the width of the aperture in the keeper 10 (measured in the direction of movement of the door) was only sufficient to accommodate the extremity of the plunger then insufiicient time would be provided for the spring 18 to assert itself. However, when the door is slammed against its resilient seal the body part 12 is initially disposed 3. slightly to the left of the position shown in Figure 2. Thus as the plunger 13 moves outwardly it contacts the roller 20 and raisesit in. the slots Subsequently as the resilient'seal reasserts itselfandinoves the door outwardly the roller moves by gravitydown the slots 10 and wedges the plunger against the opposite edge of the aperture in the keeper 10. Outward movement of the plunger 13 is limited by a projection 13"- thereon, which contacts another part of the abutment piece 12 in the body part. Also as the door is closed the wedge face of the block 19 contacts the wedge face 10" of the keeper and isheld in contact therewith by the spring 19 The lower mechanism B which is shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6 includes a hollow housing 21 mounted at the lower edge of the door. In this housing is a transversely disposed hole adapted to receive a conical'portion of the striker pin 11 as the door is closed, whilst in the striker pin is a conical transverse hole 11 which is arm of the lever 27.

The lever 31 also carries a pin 32 which is located in a slot 33 in a locking lever 34 pivoted on the flange 28*, the arrangement being such that movement of the handle in the opposite direction to that already described will cause the locking lever 34 to overlie and block movement 1 ing position, and the pin 32 has freedom of movement adapted to receive the conical end portion of a bolt 22 which is vertically slidable within the housing 21. The

bolt 22 is connected to an actuating rod 23 and is loaded in a downward direction by a coiled spring 24 interposed between the bolt and the housing. Also in the striker pin 11 is a notch 11 which can be engaged by a nose 22 of the bolt to provide a safety position in the event of the door not being fully closed.

' At one side of the housing is pivotally mounted a of said other arm of the lever 27 and thereby prevent movement of the fastening to the unlatched position.

The locking lever 34 is loaded by a spring 35 to a blockin the slot 33-whic'h will permit-of the handle at the insideof the door being moved to the locked position whilst the fastening is in the unlatched position and the lever '27 therefore obstructs movement of the locking lever 34. By this expedient in the event of the handle being set to the locked positionwith the door open, the spring 35 will lock the door automatically when the fastening moves to the latchedpositionas the door closes.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as a 7 new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

spring-loaded lever 25 against which the extremity of the striker pin 11 is adapted to bear in the closed position of the door. adapted to coact (in a manner to be described) with a transverse pin 22 carried by the bolt and extending through slots in the housing 21.

Assuming that the fastening is in the latched position shown and that it is required to open the door, then by means to be hereinafter described an upward pull is exerted on the rod 23 to raise the bolt 22 against the action of the spring 24. Raising of the bolt withdraws it from the keeper pin 11 and allows door to open. As the door opens the lever 25 is moved inwardly by its spring relative to the housing 22 until the abutment 25 engages beneath the pin 22 to hold the fastening in the unlatched position. When the door is closed abutment between the striker pin 11 and the lever 25 causes the latter to be moved against its spring to remove the abutment 25 from the pin 22 thus releasing the bolt 22 and permitting it to enter the hole 11*.

The actuating rod 17 of the upper mechanism A, and

the actuating rod 23' of the lower mechanism B each incorporate a means, such as 17 and 23- respectively, whereby their efiective lengths can be adjusted. Also these rods 17 and 23 are connected respectively to the levers 26 and 27 of the middle mechanism C illustrated in detail in Figures 7 to 9. The levers 26 and 27, which This lever has an abutment 25 which is A fastening for a vehicle door, comprising in combination a hollow body' part adapted to be mounted on and adjacent to the upper edge of the door, a vertically slidable and longitudinally slotted plunger mounted in the body 1 part so that upward movement of the plunger causes its upper extremity to project from the body part into an aperture in a keeper on a relatively fixed part of the vehicle'body, a catch piece pivotally mounted in the longitudinally slotted plunger and having a nose which, when the plunger is in its uppermost position, is engageable with a shoulder on the keeper, a wedge piece slidably mounted within the slotted plunger, the wedge piece, catch piece and body part. having interacting surfaces whereby movement of the Wedge piece' in onedirection serves to impart angular movement to the catch piece for causing the nose thereof to engage the said shoulder, and movement of the Wedge piece in the opposite direction serves to free the catch piece. for pivotal movement and to actuate the plunger for retracting its upper extremityrand the catch piece from the'aperture in the keeper, an actuating rod connected to the wedge piece, and a coiledcompression spring surrounding the actuating rod and bearing at its opposite ends respectively against the wedge piece and body part so as to urge the wedge piece in the first mentioned direction.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 

